I've only just got around to reading Brendan Montague's account of the denier festival in Las Vegas. If you missed it - here's a link to the article.
Some snippets as tasters:
Read the full article here.
...The hundreds of sceptics around me not once questioned the bizarre, the illogical, the poorly constructed claims that swirled in front of our eyes. This parody of science was a deadly hybrid of 1970s Open University programmes and sub-Cirque du Soleil....
...Delingpole has written off one of the most influential climate studies as “ludicrous, comedy” and claimed its author, Professor Michael Mann at Penn State University, has “little discernible talent”. But during our confrontation he confirmed he had never interviewed Mann, never read his book and never read any of his scientific papers. I was dumbfounded. ...
...I buttonholed Joseph Bast and asked whether he had indeed chosen Vegas as a brilliantly daring provocation to his critics. The spin of the roulette wheel reminded me at least of the madness of sub-prime mortgages and credit default swaps that plunged millions of Americans into penury. Was it social commentary? “No”, he said. “The rooms were cheap”....
Read the full article here.
Read it in full, thanks for the link. Interesting, but mostly sad. Would've loved to have heard more about the "dressing down" of Willard.
ReplyDeleteWas a well written article that held my attention for its entire length (an acheivement with my limited patience for these people). My only gripe is that the author seemed to suggest that some fossil fuel companies have stopped funding deniers when, in reality, they still do so but prefer to channel the money via third parties.
ReplyDeleteFossil fuel companies have ditched the weirdos and set up shop with the lukewarmers and econometricists. Their direct fire is now aimed at renewables.
DeleteThat sad faded 60's (?) basement bar does warm the cockles. Not so many years ago they used to meet in Manhattan, now they're on the set of a Mob family wedding but with terrible food.
ReplyDeleteSo pathetic; you can't but giggle. Slightly hysterically as the world totters towards who knows what (but it won't be good), but any relief is welcome.
Delingpole’s other claim to fame was being made to look a complete fool when Sir Paul Nurse, filming for the BBC, asked if he had read the abstract of any scientific papers
ReplyDeleteThe interview is hilarious - well worth a view to see how lightweight Delingpole is. I thought Delingpole made more of a twit of himself when asked a simple question about consensus. He could not answer it so he went all defensive followed by aggressive followed by changing the subject. Showed how he only listens to denier types and never tests his ridiculous ideas against anyone with more than one brain cell.
The funniest bit for me came after:
Deletehttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2011/jan/24/james-delingpole-tv-interview
"The bellicose Telegraph climate sceptic has complained to the BBC of being 'intellectually raped' on Horizon during an interview with Nobel prize-winner Sir Paul Nurse".
It must have been one of the mildest mannered assaults in the history of mankind. If I was in the same room as Delingpole, I'd struggle to remain as polite as Nurse did.
I agree. It was a mild mannered interview that should have been easy.
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